Speaker Batchelder: I was shocked and dismayed by the email you sent out late last night.

Speaker Batchelder:

I was shocked and dismayed by the email you sent out late last night.

I cannot fathom why you would consider my remarks yesterday to the State Central Committee as anything less than a passionate call for party unity.

To suggest that I was, in some way, attacking Governor Kasich is flat out false and even a cursory review of the speech (a copy is available here) proves it.

If, as you wrongly suggest, my speech was an attack on Governor Kasich, why did the governor's Campaign Chairman, Jo Ann Davidson, and one of the governor's closest allies, lobbyist Doug Preisse, provide me with a standing ovation at the conclusion of my remarks?

That fact alone shows that your conclusions about my message are simply incorrect.

Since you were not at the meeting and didn't hear the speech, I fear that those who asked for you to send your memo don't have our party's best interests at heart, and that they are trying to manipulate you.

My comments plainly explained the situation we face as a Party. We stand at a crossroads.One year from now, when we look at our successes or failures in 2012, they will be directly traced back to this moment and how each of us acted.

I referenced Governor Kasich's team because I worry they are not serving him or our party well since they are recruiting candidates to run against incumbent Members of the State Central Committee. I am responsible to those Members.I am obligated to protect them and to protect the institution that is the Ohio Republican Party.

Imagine if the Governor's political team were out recruiting candidates to run against incumbent House Members in your Caucus. If that happened, you'd act to protect them -- for their sake and for the unity of the party.

That's precisely what I'm doing - protecting my State Committee Members for their sake and for the unity of the party. And, because dissension can only undermine the Governor's chances for re-election, my call for unity will help John Kasich, as well.

Given that my Committee Members, just two short years ago, took the unprecedented step of endorsing John Kasich shortly after he announced he would be a candidate against Ted Strickland, they deserve better from the Governor's political team.

Whenever an elected official has people around him who are motivated by ego, power, or profit, friends of that elected official owe him the courtesy of a warning that he deserves better counsel. My concern -- and that of dozens of GOP leaders in this state -- is just that.

I've personally tried to reach out to Governor Kasich to discuss this matter. He has declined to return my calls or emails. Perhaps this may be because members of his political team have their own agenda and are therefore preventing us from personally resolving this issue.

I will continue to make the effort to reasonably resolve these issues personally with the Governor because anything less would be aiding and abetting Barack Obama's re-election efforts.

As for the specific points you raise:

* The assertion that the Party withheld support from members of your caucus who faced primaries is flat out wrong. TheParty did mail projects during the 2010 primary in support of Reps. Maag, McGregor, Sears, Hite and Goodwin. Disclosure of these expenditures may be found on the Secretary of State's website . It should be noted that we provided this support despite the fact that at least one of these members was actively working against the Party's endorsed candidate for State Auditor. Not once during the campaign, did you, the Caucus Campaign Chair, or the campaign staff bring these concerns to my attention. Let me be clear, after having served 8 years in the wonderful institution that is the Ohio House of Representatives, I would never do anything to undermine the Republican caucus that I love.

* At no time did the Ohio GOP ever prevent anyone from your staff from accessing data or equipment. We happily provide resources to all Republicans on the General Election ballot who simply ask.

* The insinuation that we worked against the House Caucus when it comes to fund-raising is also not true. I spent hundreds of hours on the road raising money for our candidates for the Apportionment Board. How the legislative lines are drawn by the Apportionment Board is one of the most important concerns of your members.Hundreds of donors with whom I spoke can set the record straight.

* One point you made is indeed accurate.We did not include House candidates on our Ohio GOP polling, for two specific reasons: 1) we are a statewide organization and all our polls have a statewide sample -- which is of no help to a House candidate wanting to see numbers for his unique district; 2) the House Caucus has its own pollster and has, for decades, conducted its own polling. Surely you know that there would be only a fraction of the valid samples needed for a house candidate in a statewide poll.

* Finally, your concerns about vendors we've engaged are incredibly disingenuous. The two you mentioned were exonerated. Fairness demands an accurate portrayal of history for all involved.

Mr. Speaker, I'm troubled that, instead of calling me directly to discuss the issue, you chose to criticize me, the staff of the Ohio Republican Party, and members of the State Central Committee in a very public manner. As you know, I've tried to reach out to you over the course of the last year and a half. You've not returned a single call.I wish you would.Our party members want us to work together to elect Republicans in our state and defeat Barack Obama.

Had you gotten in touch with me, I would have updated you about the concerns I have that were referenced in my speech yesterday. We could have also discussed the points in your letter, which could have avoided you making false or misguided statements.

Look at our body of work. Governor Kasich and the General Assembly's accomplishments have been the subject of countless emails and have rightfully been highlighted in nearly every weekly email we've distributed this year. To be clear, the Ohio Republican Party stands firmly behind Governor Kasich and his public policy agenda which will save and create jobs for the people of our state. There is no other issue which requires more of our attention.

It appears to me that you have a great deal of hostility toward the Ohio Republican Party. Frankly, given the work we did to maintain GOP control of the Apportionment Board, which should result in Republican legislative majorities throughout this decade, I'm perplexed by the suggestion that we weren't there for you.

All this said, I still hold out hope that we can put these petty differences behind us so we can work toward the common goal of building upon our past successes for sake of our 2012 candidates. I'm willing to meet for the sake of party unity and because I believe in cooperation. I hope you are willing, too.